The Morning’s Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

1. Presented without comment: “The British hospital treating the former Kate Middleton admitted Wednesday it was victimized by a crank call in which information on her condition was given out to a woman impersonating Queen Elizabeth II.” [via NYT]

2. We’re thrilled to hear that Sean Bean is replacing Brendan Fraser as the star of Legends, the new TNT series from Homeland executive producer Howard Gordon. But how long before you think he dies? [via THR]

3. If you’re confused by all of this “fiscal cliff” talk, perhaps this PSA featuring Mr. Burns will help you make sense of it all. [via HuffPost]

4. Oprahhas announced her latest Book Club selection: Ayana Mathis’ debut novel, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, which tells the story of one family’s experience in the decades following the Great Migration.

5. The fact that B.J. Novak will play a potential love interest in two upcoming episodes of The Mindy Project makes us happy — a “charming Latin professor who bonds with Mindy over their love of a dead language” can’t be anything like Ryan, right? [via Vulture]